Family OITHONIDAE Dana, 1853

Oithonia decipiens

© Copyright after Farran 1913.

Museums

Regional Maps

• Oithonidae Dana, 1853.

  Type genus:

   Oithona Baird, 1843.

  Compiled from secondary source:

   Boxshall, G.A. & Halsey, S.H. 2004. An Introduction to Copepod Diversity. London : The Ray Society 966 pp. [610].

Introduction

Species in the family Oithonidae are plentiful in planktonic marine communities around the world. Oithonids are small copepods, usually less than 1 mm in length, and are widespread in epipelagic and mesopelagic depths in the open ocean, and in neritic waters and estuaries. The family includes three genera, and over 50 species. See Boxshall & Halsey (2004: 610) for more details as well as a key to the genera.

ID Keys

For a key to the genera see Boxshall & Halsey (2004).

General References

Boxshall, G.A. & Halsey, S.H. 2004. An Introduction to Copepod Diversity. London : The Ray Society 966 pp.